Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1873

‘A koan, huh…’

To create is the wrong way to put it.

In the first place, a clue is something that already exists. It’s not about creating it, but finding it.

And the place he had to find it was none other than within himself.

‘I can’t tell others to go down a path I haven’t walked myself.’

That’s not a signpost.

A signpost is something left by a predecessor. It’s a privilege only those who have forged their own path through the rough terrain can claim.

So….

What Bang Jin-hoon needed to see wasn’t where he wanted to go, but where he had come from.

His past life flashed through his mind.

The first time he learned martial arts.

The time he joined the Assembly.

The big and small incidents he experienced within the Assembly, the people he met.

The conflict with Lee Joong-gul and the encounter with Kang Jin-ho.

And the things he experienced after that, things he had never imagined.

Bang Jin-hoon’s impression after looking back at all of that was very simple.

‘Well, it’s nothing much.’

It’s not that great.

A person’s strength isn’t determined by what they’ve been through. If experiencing big events was all it took for a person to grow and become better, then every generation that had gone through war would be worthy of admiration.

But that’s not how it is.

The important thing wasn’t what you went through, but the attitude you had when facing the things that came your way.

Only those who have overcome the waves with a strong and unwavering attitude can truly become strong.

But….

‘I couldn’t do that.’

He couldn’t stand firm.

He couldn’t face things head-on.

What he faced was always a weight he could handle. Had he ever truly risked everything and clashed fiercely?

Yeah, it’s shallow.

Petty.

Pitiable.

He had thought so before, but he was someone who didn’t fit in as a martial artist.

Yeah, maybe so. But….

‘So what’s wrong with that?’

Why should he face things head-on? Isn’t that how people are?

When there’s a high mountain, some people try to climb it, but more people try to find an easier way around it.

Does not climbing the mountain in front of you make you a lesser human? Does it make you a coward?

That’s ridiculous.

Nothing.

Nothing is wrong.

Just because his life wasn’t filled with courage doesn’t mean he should be called a coward. Just because his life wasn’t filled with willpower doesn’t mean he should be pointed at as pathetic.

Not everyone in the world can be a hero.

Heroes may be the ones who illuminate the world, but it is the countless ordinary people who couldn’t become heroes who create the world in which those heroes can shine.

So, he wouldn’t deny it.

He wouldn’t regret it.

He would just accept it.

He would be confident and proud of the path he had walked.

And he would become a signpost.

For those who are a little lacking, a little cowardly, and a little worldly.

Even if he couldn’t become the sun in the sky,

he could at least be a candle to light the way.

That was enough.

Slowly opening his eyes, Bang Jin-hoon’s pen began to write again.

It wasn’t particularly grand, nor was it something that would inspire awe in those who saw it.

Just like an ordinary person writing an ordinary text, he slowly completed the last part of the secret manual.

‘It’s okay if I can’t surpass it.’

But with this martial art, someone will surpass him.

Someone who couldn’t be surpassed with the martial arts prepared for geniuses, that someone.

That was enough for Bang Jin-hoon.

Scribble, scribble.

The writing, done with a hand that was neither fast nor slow, finally stopped.

The tip of the pen, which had briefly paused in the air, trembled lightly.

And then….

The pen slowly moved down and placed a period at the end of the writing.

Thud.

Bang Jin-hoon, who had placed the pen next to the secret manual, looked at the manual with a face full of mixed emotions.

‘It’s a shame.’

He realized it anew.

There’s no such thing as a masterpiece of a lifetime.

Even something you poured your heart and soul into will leave you with a sense of incompleteness and regret the moment you see its end.

But it’s okay.

This wasn’t the end for him either. If someone had truly completed a masterpiece of a lifetime, it would never be a blessing.

Because the meaning of the rest of their life would disappear.

So, this was enough for now.

The incompleteness would be completed along with his life. If it was the best he could do, then that was enough.

Bang Jin-hoon grabbed the secret manual and handed it to Chun Tae-hoon.

“Input it.”

“……I, is it all done?”

“For now.”

Bang Jin-hoon nodded.

“For now, that’s the best I can do.”

Chun Tae-hoon took the secret manual that Bang Jin-hoon handed him with trembling hands.

Chun Tae-hoon, who quickly scanned the manual in his hand, pressed it tightly and looked at Bang Jin-hoon.

“W, well, you should eat something….”

“It’s okay. It’s not urgent right now. Let’s finish what we have to do first.”

“Yes, Master!”

Chun Tae-hoon hurriedly ran towards the computer. To distribute the secret manual so that everyone in the Assembly could see it, it had to be formatted for easy printing.

Bang Jin-hoon, who was watching Chun Tae-hoon start working in a hurry, moved back a little and leaned against the wall.

‘I’m exhausted.’

It felt like every last drop of moisture in his body had been drained. He couldn’t think of anything, as if there was no sugar left in his brain.

Lethargy.

A deep fatigue and lethargy, as if he had fought dozens or hundreds of battles in a row, seemed to weigh him down.

But even so, what Bang Jin-hoon couldn’t let go of was the anxiety and regret about what he had created.

‘Would it have been better if I had created it a little later?’

He had never felt his own inadequacy so keenly. He believed in the path he had walked more firmly than ever, but even so, he kept looking back and checking if he had marked the right signpost.

‘No, no.’

It’s natural to be anxious.

Because his fate wasn’t the only thing at stake with this secret manual.

It’s natural to feel regret.

Because he had re-established himself and realized what he lacked so deeply.

You learn by teaching.

It’s not as easy as you think to fully convey what you know to others. To convey it, you have to completely establish what you only vaguely know.

It was something he had experienced before.

But this time, it was several times more difficult and several times more burdensome than it had been in the past.

‘Will it be conveyed?’

He didn’t want to become a great figure.

He would be satisfied if he could be of even a little help to those who couldn’t find their way.

Yeah, that was enough.

Bang Jin-hoon closed his eyes.

‘Being inadequate isn’t a bad thing.’

Because you can only fill what’s empty.

Nothing much would change.

Bang Jin-hoon from now on would live just like Bang Jin-hoon had lived until now.

When the wind blew, he would button up his collar, when it rained, he would seek shelter under the eaves, and when it was hot, he would hide in the shade.

Just like that.

A smile came to his face for no reason.

‘Hey, Lee Joong-gul.’

It’s strange.

The one he was thinking about now was none other than Lee Joong-gul’s face.

He knew.

He was a loser. Now, he wasn’t a particularly great person. If it was him now, he could easily subdue Lee Joong-gul at any time.

But in his mind, Lee Joong-gul was more impressive than even the Red King, the Black King, or even Kang Jin-ho.

A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

‘You were more amazing than I thought.’

The age of heroes.

The age of superhumans.

It was only after reaching an age where monsters beyond common sense were playing with people’s fates that he realized how difficult it was to reign there as a mere human for decades. How amazing it was.

‘I still don’t like you that much….’

But still….

‘I don’t hate you that much anymore.’

Bang Jin-hoon closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into himself.

Deeply, and even deeper, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.

“Master, the letters here are not….”

Chun Tae-hoon, who turned his head, closed his mouth.

“M, Master….”

A faint light was emanating from Bang Jin-hoon’s body.

It wasn’t a dazzling, intense light. Even Bang Jin-hoon’s appearance, which was emitting light, didn’t look particularly grand. He was just bowing his head as if he was asleep.

But….

The aura and faint light emanating from his body clearly proved that something was happening to Bang Jin-hoon right now.

Chun Tae-hoon, who bit his lip tightly, grabbed the secret manual and thrust it into his chest. No matter what happened, he had to protect this.

“M, Master….”

“Why 7”

“Whoa! Shit!”

Chun Tae-hoon, who was so surprised that he almost bit his tongue, unknowingly smacked the monitor.

Bang!

The monitor with the broken screen bounced out and crashed into the wall.

“Hey, you crazy bastard! Why did you smack a perfectly good monitor!”

“W, well… I thought you were in a trance?”

“Trance my ass.”

Bang Jin-hoon snorted.

“What did I do that was so great that I’d go into a trance? I just dozed off for a bit because I was sleepy.”

“T, then what’s that?”

“What?”

“You’re glowing! Right now! From you, Master!”

“Ha… This guy, your flattery has improved a lot. Stop it, you little brat. It tickles.”

“No! It’s really glowing, really!”

“Huh?”

Bang Jin-hoon looked down at his body.

“Whoa. What is this? Crazy!”

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes widened. He wasn’t a light bulb, so why was light coming out of him?

‘No, I’m not even circulating my energy.’

“Is this what they call self-luminescence?”

“What nonsense are you talking about! Are you out of your mind?”

“……Can’t I even make a joke, you serious face?”

Bang Jin-hoon, who had a slightly hurt look on his face, checked his body.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong.”

“……If that’s not a problem, then there’s nothing in the world that’s a problem. Yeah. Would a nuclear bomb falling on your head be a problem?”

“Ugh.”

Bang Jin-hoon scratched his head.

But no matter how much he checked his body, he didn’t feel anything particularly wrong. Rather, his fatigue was gradually fading, and his body was starting to feel energized.

“I guess I should go ask the Assembly Head.”

“If you go out like that, NASA will probably catch you for research, or you’ll be kidnapped by some unknown secret organization.”

“It’s okay, you little brat. The Assembly is allied with the US.”

Bang Jin-hoon waved his hand dismissively, got up from his seat, and walked towards the door.

Bang Jin-hoon’s voice reached Chun Tae-hoon’s ears as he was dumbfounded and unable to stop him.

“Tae-hoon.”

“Yes, Master.”

“How is it? Is it usable?”

Chun Tae-hoon’s hand unconsciously reached for the secret manual in his chest.

“I haven’t seen it all yet, so I honestly don’t know.”

“But I will not hesitate to learn it. Because it’s a secret manual created by you, Master.”

“And I think the others will be the same.”

Bang Jin-hoon smiled wryly.

It’s funny.

Those words were better to hear than the word ‘best’.

“Then that’s enough.”

Bang Jin-hoon, who had a face that had let go of everything, opened the door. The sun, which had already risen to the middle of the sky, greeted him with its scorching rays.

Bang Jin-hoon, who looked at the world outside the door as if he was feeling a new emotion, slowly opened his mouth after a long time.

“It’s an ordinary day.”

Yeah.

An ordinary day.

But somehow, it was a good day.